


The Librarian

by sunstrucked



Category: 1917 (Movie 2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Tom Blake being adorable confused student for 1500 words, Tom as a nursing student, Tom's POV, Will as a librarian
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-28
Updated: 2020-03-28
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:34:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23358577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunstrucked/pseuds/sunstrucked
Summary: Before I could get to the next one, a soft voice startled me, I turned around, and found a blonde librarian standing behind the reception desk — or at least I thought he was the librarian, judging from where he was standing and the name tag on his chest. He was dressed way too nice for a librarian though; a white linen shirt and a brown waistcoat — who dress like that?
Relationships: Tom Blake & William Schofield, Tom Blake/William Schofield
Comments: 5
Kudos: 35





	The Librarian

**Author's Note:**

> I am planning on adding more chapters to this, but for now, enjoy :)
> 
> Oh, and I promise I'll come up with a better title as we go along.

The class that day ended earlier than it usually did. My professor talked about having to go to a dinner with a pharmaceutical rep — or having to go to the pharmacy before dinner — either way I wasn't paying much attention. I wasn't in the right frame of mind, not that I have been in the right frame of mind since the year started, but, today, was especially hard _._

I came early to class today, which wasn't something I normally do. Joe, my brother, had an early work shift today, since we were heading the same way, I figured I could come along in his car and had him drop me by my university. When I came to class today, there were already some kids talking in the second row, they huddled over one desk, exchanging stories, laughing, showing things on their phone, _interacting._ Now, don't get me wrong. I wasn't the kind of kid who sits alone at the back of the class and spends most of my time by myself. I wasn't _shy_ in any sense, I had always been a chatty person, _too_ chatty sometimes, as Joe had often told me, but I needed time, time to warm myself up with the people around me before I could truly let myself go. 

It had been a month since I started university and yet I still felt incredibly out of place _._ It wasn't like starting off any other school year with new classmates and new teachers, settling into university was a whole different thing; new city, new flat, new routines, new environments. Everything was strange and unfamiliar. London was loud and restless, people weren't as friendly as I used to, and everything seemed so big and intimidating. Sure I had Joe, but aside from the fact that we shared the same flat, he wasn't really around that much due to his job. I was a brave young man with big dreams when I left home, but once I arrived in London, I was nothing but a scared and scrawny kid. Today, that morning, in that very class, for the first time in my life, I felt truly alone. I was left out, in the back of the room, couldn't seem to be able to join into the conversation.

_Was I bothered about that?_

Yes. Of course. I wasn't used to be like this, to be left out of the conversation, left out of the group. I used to be the one to strike up a chat in a room, the one to tell the stories, the one to work the crowds. Now, I couldn't even find the gut to introduce myself to them.

The kids in my class were going for a drink at a nearby pub. I stole a look at my watch, it was half past 6, Joe must still be at work. I contemplated. Should I just go home? Or maybe I could stop being a chicken and work up the courage to tag along with my classmates? Going out for drinks sounded fun, but not when you literally knew no one in the crowd. So, chicken or drinks?

_Chicken._

Since I figured I would most likely end up at the corner of the pub drinking alone while sadly watching them having fun, I decided to just go home and take a mental rain check. I would much rather be sad and drink alone in my own flat. The sun had started to set in when I came out of the building. I dragged my steps slowly, marveling at how the tips of the leaves on the trees had started to fade to shades of brown and orange, some of them had even started to fall and grace the cobbled path. People were leaving, getting out of buildings, and heading to whatever life they have waiting outside the campus. Then it dawned on me; it was Friday night. Of course. How pathetic I was. Heading home at 6 on a Friday night, planning to spend the rest of the night in my pajamas watching a Blackadder rerun with a bottle of berry brandy (whatever that was, it was a housewarming gift from one of Joe's coworker) and probably passing out before 10. I was just about to take a turn for the gate when something caught my eyes.

The campus library.

I had been meaning to pay the building a visit but never really got the chance (or an actual reason to). I once again contemplated. I decided to went in, still with no actual reason aside from not really wanting to go home to my sad sad night. The inside of the building was, surprisingly, _modern._ Unlike the town public library we have back home which was really old and creepy with dusty books and dark corners that were mostly used by highschool kids for after school make out sessions. The inside of the building was vast and well-lit. It had high ceilings with big windows and warm white lighting. The walls were lined with floor-to-ceiling bookshelf, displayed neatly and organized by field study. There were computers, long tables, sofas, and wooden decks with bean bag chairs. I stood by the opening, scanning the room. 

There were only four other people in the room. I started playing a game in my head, trying to guess what majors they were from. It was a thing that I tend to do back then to take my mind off the fact that I still have yet got a friend to talk to. I did it in the college lawns, cafeterias, and now, library. The girl sitting by the computer looked tired, she got her hair up in a bun, there were faint black circles underneath her eyes, and she got a black drafting tube sitting on the floor next to her feet; _engineering._ The other girl, sitting with her legs crossed on the sofa, jotting some words rather rapidly on the laptop on her lap, wearing a well-ironed blouse and a black heels; _management._ The guy—

"You're new?"

Before I could get to the next one a soft voice startled me, I turned around, and found a blonde librarian standing behind the reception desk — or at least I thought he was the librarian, judging from where he was standing and the name tag on his chest. He was dressed way too nice for a librarian though; a white linen shirt and a brown waistcoat — who dress like that? He looked like a much younger — and much attractive — version of my grandpa on Christmas dinner.

"Can I help you with anything?"

I stepped closer to his desk, "I was just looking around."

He smiled. Christ, it was sweet. 

"Well, let me know if you need anything."

He sat back down, eyes focusing on the desktop screen before him. I eyed the guy for a second, catching a glimpse of his name on the white name tag. 

"Will," I subconsciously muttered underneath my breath.

He looked up, "yes?"

My eyes widened. Oh for fucksake, I thought I was just saying that to myself. I felt my cheeks start to flushed with warmth. 

"I-i was just—," I pointed at the name tag on his chest. 

"Oh, yeah" he looked down, his smile turned into an awkward grin, _"Will."_

We both went quiet.

"I'm Thomas by the way," I offered my hand, breaking the pause, finally gathering enough courage to spat out my own name, "Tom."

He took my hand and shook it, "nice to meet you, _Thomas_."

—

I had a book on Nursing Diagnosis that I had been cradling in my hand for the past 20 minutes — and I have yet make it past the 'acknowledgement' page. I stared at the bold letters for a second, before throwing my attention back across the room, eyeing the figure behind the reception desk. I wasn't being creepy, or at least I thought I wasn't, I just couldn't take my eyes off the librarian. Something about him really threw me off, it was something about the way he smiled, the way his waistcoat perfectly framed his slim waist, the way the warm light illuminated his bright blue eyes. I was just so taken aback. He looked _good,_ in every single sense of the word.

When the two guys sitting in the bean bag section of the library made too much noise amid discussing something, he looked up, shushing them to keep quiet. I quickly glanced down, eyes back on the page. I noticed how my palms were sweating underneath the hard-back cover of the book. So, I put my book down, wiping them slowly on the fabric of my trousers. When I closed my eyes, I could feel a faint thudding on my left chest. I was, in a way, nervous. But, what for? I wasn't the one making the noise. I was just _reading._ Why would I possibly be nervous? The only times I was this nervous was when I did the interview for the university admission and when try to ask out Nat—

_oh._

Was that it? No. It couldn't be. I had just met him. Sure, he was attractive, _very_ attractive I dare say, but I barely even know the guy apart from the fact that his name was Will; that he was a librarian, that he dressed way too nice for his job; that he had a neatly folded handkerchief on his pocket, like an old man; that he secretly played solitaire in his computer when no one was looking, also, like an old man; that he tend to tilt his head slightly when thinking, as if he was trying look at the problem differently, and that he also—

_shit._

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



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